A couple of months ago I went to the dentist. Not a big deal, right? No, not for most people but for me it was a little different. I hadn’t been to the dentist for over ten years. Before you tsk-tsk me I have to proudly tout the fact 0 cavities. None. Zilch. But I did have a filling separating from the tooth that “should probably be replaced.”

So I went this week to have it replaced.

I told my co-worker I was leaving early to go to the dentist. She said, “It reminds me of that old Christmas movie of the elf that wanted to be a dentist.   Which one is that?”

“Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer,” I replied without hesitation.

“What?” another coworker chimed in.

“It’s Herbie the Elf,” I decided to go into detail. “He sings the song, ‘why am I such a misfit? I am not just a nitwit.”

“Yeah,” my first coworker said. “He was a misfit.”

“I guess I have never watched that,” our coworker said.

How in the world can you be a true American and never have watched Rudolph at Christmas time? It’s not possible. Maybe my coworker is a spy?

“Silver and Gold,” I continued to sing and my first coworker joined me, “silver and gold…”

“Huh,” our coworker watched us slowly.

“I also use Herbie as my hair guide. When I get a little flip in front like he has (that I call my ‘Herbie-do’) I know it’s time to get it cut.”

This brought silence and a polite smile from my first coworker.

“You need to watch Rudolph this year,” I finished.

“Apparently I do,” my deprived coworker agreed.

To be honest though, when I think of the dentist I never thought of poor lil’ Herbie. I think of Bill.